Peter Schmuck's 2013 Orioles report card

CaptionCATCHERS: Matt Wieters

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

He isn't Johnny Bench just yet, but he is one of the top offensive and defensive catchers in either league, and he's also one of the most durable, playing in 148 games this season. If there is a complaint about him, it's that he hasn't yet lived entirely up to the great offensive expectations that made him one of the top catching prospects of all-time. But he led all major league catchers in home runs (22) and tied for third in RBIs (79), so let's not be too picky. Grade: A-

He isn't Johnny Bench just yet, but he is one of the top offensive and defensive catchers in either league, and he's also one of the most durable, playing in 148 games this season. If there is a complaint about him, it's that he hasn't yet lived entirely up to the great offensive expectations that made him one of the top catching prospects of all-time. But he led all major league catchers in home runs (22) and tied for third in RBIs (79), so let's not be too picky. Grade: A- (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun)

Buck Showalter was partial to the way Teagarden handled the pitching staff when Wieters was getting a breather, but it reached the point late in the season when the club wanted to take a look at Steve Clevenger and Teagarden just didn't produce enough offensively to argue the logic of auditioning somebody else for the final month. Grade: D

Buck Showalter was partial to the way Teagarden handled the pitching staff when Wieters was getting a breather, but it reached the point late in the season when the club wanted to take a look at Steve Clevenger and Teagarden just didn't produce enough offensively to argue the logic of auditioning somebody else for the final month. Grade: D (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

In a perfect Baltimore baseball world, we wouldn't be looking in the rear-view mirror yet, but 85 wins -- while certainly respectable -- were not enough to push the Orioles' second straight winning season into October. So, while you're watching the postseason and secretly rooting for whichever team plays the Boston Red Sox, here is our 2013 Orioles report card. Keep in mind that the grades are based on the performance of each player in the context of his role with the team, not necessarily in comparison to his teammates or similar players around the league. So, a player with limited at-bats or innings may get a higher grade than a full-time player, even though there is no question about their relative value. Each position player appeared in at least nine games with the Orioles, while each pitcher made at least five appearances with the team. Within each position group, the players are arranged in order of number of games played, with the most at the beginning and the fewest at the end.